1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for drying solutions containing macromolecules.
2. Related Art
Solutions, such as those used for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, are often dried for long-term storage. These dried solutions can be reconstituted for use when needed. This technique is particularly useful in areas in which refrigerated storage is prohibitively expensive or unavailable. In these areas, room temperature storage of dried solutions is the only means available to store and use the necessary solutions.
Conventional devices for drying solutions include vacuum and centrifugal force systems, such as those available from Savant Instruments, Inc., of Holbrook, N.Y. These devices use a vacuum to increase the rate of evaporation. A vacuum, however, can cause foaming and bumping, resulting in sample loss and contamination of other samples. Moreover, vacuum pumps can be damaged by the solutions being dried and thus require vapor traps. Centrifugal force, generated by spinning the samples, may reduce foaming and bumping. However, mechanisms for spinning the samples include rotors and motors that have to be carefully balanced. Balancing includes loading samples to be dried in prescribed manners. Failure to maintain proper balance can lead to oscillating vibrations that can cause catastrophic failure of rotors and motors. Conventional drying systems can take several hours to dry a set of solutions.
What is needed is a reliable, low maintenance, apparatus and method for quickly drying solutions in large arrays of vessels.